Recently, we spotted a group of children who are just SO excited to hide books that we had to reach out to ask for their story! Not only was Fairy Mary excited to help us with their story, but they had so many pictures to share.
The story of the Starline Mini Book Fairies, by “Fairy Mary”
I have always been an adamant reader, so much so I became a YA author later in life. I discovered Book Fairies almost a year ago when I read an article about Emma Watson hiding free books around the London train stations for others to find and enjoy for themselves. I had thought what an easy, fun way it was to not only give back to your community, but share the love of reading as well. After some more research I realised that she was doing this on behalf of an organization called The Book Fairies, and that anyone could be a part of this movement. I was hooked! I began hiding copies of my favorite books around my small town of Lake Havasu City in Arizona. Nothing like this had ever been done in our town before. I would hide out and watch people find the books I left and the joy and excitement it brought to them warmed my heart.
mini book fairies week
Months later, The Book Fairies held Mini Book Fairies Week. What better place to hide books for mini fairies then at a school? After seeing my son off to his first grade class I waited around until all of the students were inside. Once the coast was clear, I snuck around campus—with permission of course—and hid dozens of wrapped children’s books. I could have never anticipated the explosive response I would receive from students, teachers, and even parents! Everyone was thrilled and I had a few requests to do it again. While having a conversation with a close friend we discussed how amazing it would be if we could share this joy of giving with the kids. That is when I went to the principal with the proposition of forming a club.
Our first mini book fairies meeting
After winter break we had our first Mini Book Fairies Club meeting. These last few months have been an absolute delight! With eighteen children in the club, we meet every Wednesday. We wrap books and hide them around the school, participate in international Book Fairy events—such as Lewis Carroll’s birthday and the Oscars, have fun discussions about books the children are reading, and even wrote a story together that they read over the intercom to the school. The kids had a “homework assignment” to take a wrapped book home to hide around town with their family.
a book fairy field trip
We are allowed one field trip each quarter. When I read about the Book Fairies first birthday I knew it was the perfect opportunity to have our field trip on that day. Knowing that it originated in the UK, we decided to celebrate the day by hiding books under the London Bridge. After a nine minute bus drive from our school to the historic landmark, my Mini Fairies were let loose in the English Village underneath the London Bridge. They hid their wrapped books in every nook and cranny. A few different groups of tourists noticed what we were doing and stopped us to ask what the Book Fairies were. The Mini Fairies were more than happy to explain. Since then I have received an email from one of the tourists that miraculously tracked us down. They expressed what a pleasure it was to see the unbridled excitement of the kids as they explained what they do.
a book fairy party!
Yesterday we had our last club meeting with a rowdy pizza party. It has been so much fun to work with this group of kids and I know that they will continue to share their love and passion for reading here on out. I already have twenty-one eager new fairies signed up for the next session. We are all ready for our first meeting after spring break. I am currently making plans to build a Free Little Library in front of our school with the kids.
I want to thank Book Fairies for creating an international family of individuals that love books and are passionate about sharing them with the world. You have given these kids a mission in life and that is a beautiful thing! #ibelieveinbookfairies
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We loved reading about the Starline Mini Book Fairies! If this has got you thinking… why not grab some stickers for yourself? We even have a book fairy school bundle should you want to include children! Seriously – they love, love, love hiding books for others, and being a book fairy shows them how incredible the simple act of giving can be.